As of now, Ciconia is a fantastic representation of the "children shouldn't have to suffer because of the vendettas made by the generations before them" theme we see in When They Cry visual novels. It offers a variety of perspectives on gifted children programs, mental illness in response to military training, and the responsibilities we have to the countries we're born in. Despite having only one chapter as of now, Ciconia is incredibly captivating with a superbly diverse cast and beautifully tragic story. I'm always down for a story about how the military glamorizes itself to convince young people into enlisting and then forces them to fight battles that they'll never benefit from. Too bad the next part of this will probably release when I'm dead.

Without love, it can't be seen.

Where to even begin with Umineko. It shaped me in the most formative moments of my teenage years. It's stayed with me even as I'm now in my twenties. I cried for a full hour interrupted when I finished it for the first time. Ricordando il Passato and Thanks for Being Born are two of the greatest tracks produced for any series ever. Do you have any idea how embarrassing it is to say that an anime visual novel made me the person I am today?

Umineko is about love. Umineko is about generational trauma. Umineko is about forgiveness. Umineko is about how it's okay not to forgive. Umineko is about recovery. Umineko is about gender identity. Umineko is moving on. Umineko is about happiness. Umineko is about religion. Umineko is about what we have the right to know. Umineko is about understanding.

The most important thing Umineko tells us is that no matter what, giving up is the worst suffering you can impart onto yourself. Giving up is such a hopeless thing that it doesn't even qualify as losing. It's an apathetic cease of existence. No matter what, keep living. There will be someone out there who sees you for all your ugliness and decides to love you. There is no person so miserable that they can no longer obtain happiness. All it takes is two people. As long as two people can understand each other, the once small worlds we lived in can become so vast.

There are so many things I can say about Umineko. I can talk about the exhilarating mysteries and fights, I can talk about the captivating characters, I can talk about the beautiful soundtrack, I can talk about how much its shaped me. But really it's something you have to experience for yourself. The 120 hours is well worth it.